Connector wrench



oct. 2, 1945. C .ST'ANLY C 2,386,011

` CONNECTOR WRENCH` N `Filed Jan. 29, 1943 C Patented Oct. 2, 1945 UNITED STATES PAT-NrforFlcE CONNECTOR WRENCH Kenneth stanley, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, a corporation of California,

Application January 29, 1943, Serial No. 474,015

1 Claim.

'I'his invention relates to a connector wrench and more specifically to wrenches adapted to be used on electrical conduit connectors when such connectors are in a comparatively inaccessible location.

Prior to this invention, due to the nature of the construction usually surrounding conduit connectors, many injuries were sustained by individuals due to the slipping of conventional wrenches from the head of thin locking nut used with said connectors. Also due to the usual inaccessibility of such connectors, the present wrenches are not adequate to perform the operation required, therefore I provide as an object .of my invention a novel means of overcoming the aforesaid disadvantages of the herebefore used wrenches.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel means of locating a connector wrench in proper operating position during the use thereof.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

This invention in its preferred form is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing- Figure I is a bottom plan view of one form of the wrench particularly adapted for use on connectors entering through the sides of an outlet box.

Figure II is a side elevation, partially in sec# tion, of the wrench shown in position of operation with a conduit connector; and

FigureIII is a side elevation of an alternate arrangement of the wrench suitable for use with conduits entering through the bottom of an outlet box.

A connector wrench of the type used on electrical conduit connections has a handle II, one

Vend I2 of which is providedwith a conically tapered pilot plug I3, its lower edges being beveled and having its sides machined to the width of the extending arm I2 as at I4. On the lower side of handle I I near the end I 2, I arrange a nut engaging member I5 secured to the handle II by suitable means as for instance by welding as indicated at I6. The nut engaging member I5 has a flat surface to engage one llat of a nut I8 and is also provided with a V shaped slot I'I which is adapted to engage a corner of the nut. Such a nut threadily engages on a connector sleeve I9, extending through an opening in an outlet box -wall 20. 'Ihe connector sleeve is formed as part of a shielded conduit 2| and has a collar 22 to engage around the outlet box aper- 'ture through which the sleeve I9 extends.

Thus it will be seen that by inserting the pilot plug I3 into the open end of sleeve I9, the nut engaging member I5 will engage either a flat or a corner of the nut I8, and by turning the handle II, the nut I 8 may be drawn down to any desired tension. By arrangingI to drive the nut from either aflat or a corner thereof the wrench can work in close corners of a conduit outlet box since the wrench can be used either way, or alternately if the swing room is especially limited. This particular arrangement of a connector wrench is especially adapted to be used on conduit connector nuts when such nuts are in a position accessible only from one side with limited clearances elsewhere, as when the conduit extends through a side wall of the outlet box.

As an alternate arrangement (see Figure III) I provide an upright rod 23 which has a turning handle 24, extending through the upper end thereof. The lower end of rod 23 is attached to an inverted U shaped member 25 by any suitable means, as for instance, by welding as indicated at 26, and has two nut engaging legs 21 which are adapted to engage two opposite ats of a nut. Positioned on the lower side of the U shaped member 25 and intermediate the legs 21 I have arranged a pilot post I3 which is similar to pilot post I3 heretofore described.

In either form of this invention the pilot I3 serves to center the wrench relative to the conduit sleeve and thus prevents slippage of the wrench with consequent bruising of the operators hand. The form of wrench shown in Figure II can readily be engaged and disengaged from successive corners of the nut being tightened so thata rapid ratchet action is possible in cramped quarters where only a small angular swing' can be given to the wrench at each engagement thereof with the nut.

This alternate arrangement may be adapted for use on conduit connectors where said connectors are easily accessible from the top but afford limited side accessibility.

Having thus described my invention and the present preferred embodiments thereof, I desire to emphasize the fact that many modifications may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claim.

I claim:

A wrench adapted to be used to screw a thin polygonal nut along a threaded electrical conduit sleeve projecting into an outlet box in aY comparatively inaccessible location, the wrench including a handle of uniform cross section, a forwardly projecting portion of reduced thickness formed integral with one end of the handle, a conically tapered plug attached adjacent the end of said forwardly projecting portion and Vadapted to be entered into the open end of the sleeve to form a centering pivot for the Wrench when the handle is swung, and a nut engaging member rigidly attached to and presenting a flat surface flush with the end of said handle adjacent the said conically tapered plug, said flat surface being provided with a V-shaped slot and being related to said conically tapered plug to engage afacet of the nut against the flat surface or a corner of the nut in the V-shaped slot for screwing the nut along the sleeve upon operation of the handle. i

KENNETH STANLEY. 

